Motion picture camera



May 18, 1937." A. K. PETERSON MOTION PICTURE CAMERA Filed May 17, 1935 2Sheets-Sheet l I VENTOR.

N jo ov'fik I ATTORNEY.

Y lllll B n mi Oh MN NQH HUW w mi M 18, 1937, A. K. PETERSON 'MOTIONPICTURE CAMERA 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 17, 1955 VENTOR. 4%; A

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 18, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOTION PICTURE CAMERAAlbin K. Peterson, Glendale, Calif.

Application May 17,

9 Claims.

This invention relates to cameras, and while features of the inventionmay be employed in cameras operating without producing a sound record onthe film, many features of the invention are particularly applicable incameras of that type.

In the operation of motion picture cameras with sound recording meansadjacent the camera, difllculty is experienced by reason of the noisedeveloped by the operation of the feed mechanism and particularly thestop mechanism, which intermittently advances the film past the lens.Considerable undesirable noise is also produced by the fluttering to andfro of the loops formed in the runs of the film between continuous feedmeans and the intermittent feed device. One of the objects of thisinvention is to provide means for preventing such noise from afiecting asound record made at the camera, and simultaneously with the exposureswhich produce the motion pictures or frames on the film; also to preventsuch nolsesfrom affecting a microphone placed near the camera when thesound record is made in a recording instrument separate from the camera.In order to accomplish this, this intermittent ieeding mechanism ispreferably located directly back of the lens and on the longitudinalaxis of the lens. For this reason it is not possible to focus the camerain the regular way. One of the objects of this invention is to providemeans whereby the camera can be focused on the object and to enable thisto be accomplished without necessitating the stopping of the feedingmovement of the film.

A further object of the invention is to provide a motion picture camerawith a sound recording attachment which can be operated so as to employthe light from the object being photographed to produce a sound recordon the film; also to provide a construction which will enable the camerato be used with or without the sound recording attachment, and with amagazine for carrying a film that is fed through the camera .and pastthe axis of the lens.

It has been found in practice that a film under tension and connectedwith intermittent feed mechanism can transmit sound through the tautfilm so that the sound vibrations may pass to the magazine or otherparts of the camera, and in this way produce undesired sound effects ona microphone near the camera. This, of course, is undesirable; and oneof the objects of this invention is to overcome this defect and toprovide means whereby the runs of the film a they 1935, Serial No.21,992

pass to the sound recording device, are in a more or less slackcondition.

In ordinary cameras of this type, every possible means is resorted to toreduce the noise, and prev vent it from reaching microphones, but it is,of course, impossible to cover the lens and hence the lens may act as anamplifier or resonator to carry the noise from the intermittent feedmechanism and the fluttering loops. My invention overcomes this defectin a practical way, and makes it possible to build a light-weight silentcamera with the microphone attached to the camera body. The inventioncan also be practiced in the conventional manner in the studio withoutnecessitating the use of cumbersome insulating boxes.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel parts and combination of parts to bedescribed hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an efficientmotion picture camera. v

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the followingspecification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan .and partial section of the camera embodying myinvention, taken about on the line |-I, with certain parts broken away,and showing the inner soundproof case for the feed mechanism with itswall broken away to disclose parts of the feed mechanism within thesame. This view also illustrates the film guide in a position withdrawnfrom the proximity to the lens and with the reflector interposed to therear of the lens so as to enable the image formed by the lens to bereflected to one side so that it can be seen from an eye-piece at therear of the camera.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the camera with the side doors of theouter case and theinner. case in an open position, so as to disclose amechanism shown more or less diagrammatically on the interior of thecamera. This view shows a portion of the front wall of the outer case insection, and illustrates the film guide in its normal position inproximity with the lens. This view also illustrates a sound recordingattachment secured on the upper wall of the outer case, partially brokenaway and shown in section so as to illustrate the mounting andconstruction of this sound recording attachment. This view also shows aportion of the film magazine mounted on the side of the recording deviceremote from the ma n case or outer case of the camera. This f q' acesview also illustrates particularly the sound deadening means formounting the soundproof inner case.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of is interposed back poses; and

Fig. l is a similar view of a cooperating refiector which receives thereflected image from the first-named reflector, and refiects the lightbacl; to the eye-piece.

Before proceeding to a more detailed description of the invention, itshould be stated that in practicing the invention, I prefer to provide asoundproof inner case in which is carried the feed mechanism, whichadvances the film through the film guide back of the lens. This is toenable the camera to be used when desired, with a sound recordingattachment through which the film passes by a continuous feed movementwhen a picture is being shot, and the sound recording device providesfor producing a sound record through the agency of the light coming froman object, or, if desired, this light may be supplemented by additionallight. Between the sound-- proof inner case and the lens, I provide forguiding the film in a loop, and construct the film guide so that it canbe withdrawn from the proximity to the lens, to enable a reflector to beinterposed, and this reflector operates to refiect the image laterally,and cooperates with another refiector for reflecting a beam forming theimage rearwardly to an eye-piece at the back of the camera. In this way,it becomes possible to focus the lens on the object without interferingin any way with the film feeding mechanism. Hence the focusing can beaccomplished even if the film is still running. The camera is providedwith simple means for withdrawing the film guide from the lens andsimultaneously advancing the pri mary or first reflector into the spaceto the rear of the lens and in front of the loop of film that passesthrough the film guide.

Referring more particularly to the parts, the camera includes a box orouter case i, the forward wall 2 of which is provided with a lens housing 3 carrying a lens, not illustrated. On one of the side walls Al ofthe outer case i, I provide a guide 5 for a carriage 6, which supports afilm guide '5, said film guide being supported on an inwardly projectingbracket 8 extending from the carriage 6. This film guide is providedwith oppositely disposed guide rollers la, over which the film Q passesin running through the film guide. On the wall 4 of the outer case,guide rollers iii are mounted, and about these rollers the film isguided so as to form a loop ii in the film at the point where it passesthrough the film guide. The rollers iii are located near the upper wall52 and bottom wall l3 of the outer case, and in addition to theserollers other guide rollers (4 are provided, as indicated in Fig. 2, forguiding the film through the forward wall I5 of a soundproof inner caseto.

I provide means for moving the carriage 6 along the guide 5 to withdrawthe film guide 7 from proximity to the lens in the lens housing 3. Any

the reflector, which of the lens for focusing pursuitable means may beemployed for this purpose,

but I prefer to employ pinion means including a pinion ll (see Fig. 1)that meshes with a rack 18 formed on the carriage 6. On the rear side ofthe forward wall 2 of the outer case, I provide a guide ill for guidinga reflector 20, which is held in a holder or bracket 2!, said brackethaving an offset arm 22 hat terminates in an upwardly extending rack andthe t of this sh mesh with the pinion means or pinion ll, so that whenthis pinion is rotated to withdraw the film guide carriage, it willsimultaneously move the rack 23 downwardly and thereby depress thecarriage or bracket 2i that carries the reflector 2a. This reflector hasa silvered face 24, which is preferably inclined at an angle of 45 tothe axis 5 of the lens, and when the reflector is in the positionillustrated in Fig. l, the beam of light forming the image from theobject, will be reflected laterally as indicated by the dotted line 26.This beam passes through an opening 2'? in the wall 4 of the camera, andfalls upon an inclined reflecting face 28 on a second reflector 29,which is located at the forward end of a light tunnel 30 formed on theside of the camera, and through this light tunnel the light passes backto an eyepiece Si near the rear wall of the camera. The pinion means, orpinion H, can be rotated by means of a tubular shaft 32, the inner endof which is provided with a'bevel gear 33 meshing with a similar bevelgear 34 on the countershaft (see Fig. 2), which countershaft carries theaforesaid pinion ll. An opening in the wall 4 is provided opposite theupper end of the rack 23,

and this opening 36 is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

It is preferable to provide means for locking the carriages in either oftheir extreme positions, that is to say, guide is in its operatingposition immediately back of the lens housing, or in the other positionillustrated in Fig. 1, in which the primary reflector 26 is interposedback of the lens. For this purpose I may provide two notches 31 and 38in the back edge of the rack $8, to cooperate with a looking pawl 39pivotally mounted on a small post 40, (see Fig. l), and the free end ofthis locking pawl 39 is pressed down toward the rack by a bent leafspring 4!, (see Fig. 2). this pawl out of engagement with either of thenotches, it is provided with a laterally extending arm 42 against whichthe upper end of a long pin 43 thrusts, said pin having a conical lowerend that is engaged by the conical forward end of a:

stem 44. This stem extends longitudinally in the tubular shaft 32 andterminates in a button 45, which can be shoved in or pulled out asdesired, to control the pawl 39.

All of the walls of the inner proof, that is to say, they areconstructed of sound deadening material, and furthermore, this innercase is supported on sound deadening means such as sponge rubbercushions or pads 46 located toward the front and held in suitablebrackets 41 that are formed on the ends of posts 48 that extend in fromthe wall 4. These posts are provided with laterally projecting platesforming feet 49 which are secured to the side wall 4.

At the rear wall 50 of the inner case i 6 a similar sound deadeningcushion or pad 5! is provided, which cooperates with the corner pads 46to hold the inner case l6 fixed in position. For this purpose the outerside of the end wall 50 of the inner case is preferably provided withtwo lugs:

52 that project into the interior of the pad 5|.

The forward wall l5 of the inner case has small guide openings 53through which the film 9 passes in and out, and Within the inner case l5near this forward wall I5, I provide feed mechanism preferably includingan intermittent feed device 54, which may be of any desired type. In thepresent instance, I have illustrated a device known generally as the-eneva stop movement. This Geneva. stop .1-t drives a forward guide inthe position in which the film- In order to lift.-

case 16 are sound-- roller 55 for the film, and this Geneva stopmovement is driven by a shaft 56 mounted in the side wall 51 of theinner case that lies adjacent to the side wall 4 of the outer case. Ontheshaft 56 a fly wheel 58 may be provided, which is driven through afiexible sound deadening driving connection 59 including a soft pad 50,said pad being driven by the hub of a gear wheel 6|. This gear wheel isdriven by a driving gear 62 carried on the shaft 03, which may be drivenat will by closing a circuit through a small electric motor 64 supportedon the side of the outer case. On the inner end of the shaft 56 a largegear wheel 65 is provided, which drives a gear train 66 for driving agear wheel 01 on a rear guide roller 68 that is driven at uniform speed.Roller 68 is located opposite to the inner guide roller 55. The runs ofthe film 9 pass over the upper and lower sides of the guide rollers 55and 68, and are held on the same by light pressure exerted by presserdevices 69 having rollers I that run on the outer sides of the film. Thelower presser devices 69 are provided with springs I0 for pressing themupwardly, and each presser device is provided with a handle II thatprojects out toward the accessible side of the inner case I6 so as toenable the presser devices to be rotated on their pivots 12 to lift themaway from the film when threading the same through the camera. .In thisway the runs of the film will form two fluttering loops 13 and I4between the guide rollers 55 and 68. At the rear a film is guided in tworuns I and "I6 that pass laterally through aguide opening 11 in theupper wall of the inner case I6, and in the space between the opening 11and the cover wall I2 of the outer case, I provide a continuously drivenfeed roller I8 which drives the runs of the film through the opening I1advancing the run I5 downwardly at a uniform speed and pulling the runI6 upwardly at a uniform speed to return it to the film magazine.

The runs I5 and'IB between the roller 68 and the driven roller I8 areslack, so that no sound will be transmitted through them into the soundrecording device, which will be presently described.

The outer case I is made accessible by providing a door 19 connected tothe same by hinges 80. This door constitutes the entire side wall of theouter case. This door is represented in its open position in Fig. 2. Asimilar door BI is provided for the exposed side of the inner case I5,and this wall is secured by hinges 82, which enable it to be swung downto an open position as indicated in Fig. 2.

The runs 15 and 16 of the film pass through a sound recording device 83,and this sound recording device is preferably constructed so that thelight from the object being photographed, is utilized to form a soundrecord on the film. In order to accomplish this, the runs I5 and I5 ofthe film extend in a plane substantially at right angles to thelongitudinal axis of the camera. The run I5, which is forward. of therun 16, passes through a film guide 84 at an opening 85. At the front ofthe sound recording device a lens housing 86 is provided carrying lenses81 and the former of which condenses the beam of light from the object,and the latter of which refracts the rays to the rays extendsubstantially parallel with each other and through the opening 85. Thisbeam 09 passes through the opening 90 of a light gate or valve 9|,preferably comprising two oppositely disposed gate members 9Ia and 9Ib,the former of which is pivotally supported at 92 and conment device 54.

form a beam 09 in which nected at 93 to a diaphragm 04. The other gatemember 9Ib is supported at 95 on the diaphragm and is also pivotallysupported on a fixed pivot 95 from the side wall of the sound-box ,91.Sound from the object is guided into the sound-box by means of 'areceiver horn or trumpet 90 that projects in the direction of the objectand provided with an elbow 09 that directs the sound down onto thediaphragm. With this arrangement it will be evident that the vibrationsof the diaphragm will cause the light gate opening 90 toenlarge ordiminish inarea in accordance with the sound waves projected onto thediaphragm,'thereby producing a light record of the sounds which can bedeveloped in the usual way.

In order to-insulate the horn 98 and reduce its absorption of soundwaves not desired to be recorded, I prefer to mount the elbow 99 in aninsulating bushing I00 of soft rubber or similar material.

In order to give accessibility to the interior of the sound recordingdevice, its sidewall may be provided with hinges IN. 1

The sound recording device 83-is preferably removably mounted on theupper wall of the outer case I by suitable securing means. For thispurpose I prefer to provide the wall I2 of the outer case with one ormore hook-shaped brackets I02, which are engaged by a correspondingprojecting tongue I03 formed on the case of the sound recording device,and at the rear end bolts I04 are provided with detachable thumb headsI05.

The runs I5 and I6 of the film pass through the guide openings I06 inthe outer wall I01 of the sound recording device, and these openingsalign with similar openings in the adjacent wall of the film magazine I08. This magazine is removably secured on the outer wall of the soundrecording device 03, which is remote from the wall I2 of. the outercase, by securing means which is interchangeable with the securing meansemployed for securing the sound recording device to the wall I2. Thisenables the camera to be operated without the sound recording devicewhenever desired, by securing the film magazine I08 directly to the wallI2 of the camera. In other words, I provide the wall I01 with ahook-shaped bracket or brackets .I09 similar to the brackets I02 byproviding a removable bolt H0 in alignment with the adjacent bolt I04and mounted in the same way. 7

The feed roller I8 is, of course, continuously driven, and this may beaccomplished by providing a gear train III driven off the gear wheel 52.This gearing should be proportioned so that the peripheral speed of theroller I8 is the same in feet per second as the average speed at whichthe film is advanced by the stop move- Referring again to the loop II,and particularly to Fig. 2, I provide a tension device II2 formaintaining the loop in tension when the film guide I has gone away fromthe lens housing 3. This tension device includes a pivoted arm pivotedat H3 and carrying a roller II4, which is pulled against the sameyieldingly by means of a coil spring H5.

In the operation of the camera, when it is necessary to focus it on anobject, this is accomplished by rotating'the shaft 32- by means of thethumb head 32a, which is rigid on it. This will rotate the countershaft35 and the pinion IT. This will operate upon the rack I8 to move thebracket 0 away from the lens housing 3, thereby carrying the film guideI away so as to provide a space into which the reflector 20 can bemoved; as the film guide i withdraws, the refiector carrier 2i will bemoved down by the pinion it and the rack so as to interpose it inposition immediately back of the object lens of the camera in the lenshousing 25. This will reflect light coming from the object laterally, asindicatecl by the line 26, so that it is projected upon the inclinedface 28 of the secondary reflector 29. This will reflect the light fromthe image rearwardly to the eye-piece 3%. It will be noted that thesemovements will not interfere with the guiding of the film, and for thisreason the camera can be focused while the film is in motion. This ismost advantageous because if it were not possible to do this, the filmmight be torn by accidentally closing the circuit to the motor 65 whilethe camera is being focused.

The noises made by the stop movement 5d and by the fluttering orwhipping to and fro of the loops l5 and it, are absorbed by thesoundproof walls of the inner case i6. Sounds emanating from this innercase are absorbed further by reason of the cushions 46 and 55, whichform yielding and floating supports for the inner case.

Furthermore, in accordance with my invention, the runs of the filmbetween the guide roller 78 and the roller 68 are in a slack condition,so that no sounds will be transmitted through them as might otherwiseoccur if they were in a taut condition.

The sound coming from the object is received through the trumpet 98, andis controlled through the agency of the diaphragm and the gatearms Eliaand so as to vary the width of the beam of light that is projected onthe run l5 of the While the film is stationary in the film guide l,exposure is made from the object through a rotary shutter MS of anysuitable form, carried on a shaft i ill which is continuously driven bymeans, not illustrated.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described herein,is only one of the many embodiments this invention may take, and I donot wish to be limited in the practice of the invention, nor in theclaims, to the particular embodiment set forth.

I claim:

1. In a silent camera for use with sound recording mechanism, thecombination of an outer case, a lens at the forward wall of the outercase, a substantially soundproof inner case within the outer case, afilm guide at the rear of the lens, and feeding mechanism within thesoundproof inner case for feeding the film through the forward wall ofthe inner case and past the film guide.

2. In a silent camera for use with sound recording mechanism, thecombination of an outer case, a lens at the forward wall of the case, afilm guide at the rear of the lens, a substantially soundproof innercase within the outer case for carrying film, feeding mechanism withinthe inouter casing, and means for guiding the film to and fro throughthe said sound recording device from the interior of the soundproofinner casing and in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis ofthe lens.

3. In a silent camera for use with sound recording mechanism, thecombination of an outer case, lens at the forward wall of the case. a

film guide at the rear of the lens, a substantially soundproof innercase within the outer case for carrying film, feeding mechanism withinthe inner case for feeding the film through the forward wall of theinner case, and past the film guide, a sound recording device, means forremovably mounting the same on the side of the outer case, a magazinefor carrying a film supply with means for removably mounting the same onmagazine through the said sound recording device and into the interiorof the soundproof inner case.

4. In a silent camera for use with sound recording mechanism, thecombination of an outer case, a lens at the forward wall of the case, a

a magazine for carrying a film supply with means for removably mountingthe same on the side of the sound recording device remote from the outercondition between the recording device and the soundproof inner case.

5. In a silent camera for use with sound recording mechanism, thecombination of an outer case, a lens at the forward wall of the case, afilm guide to the rear of the lens, a substantially soundproof innercase within the outer case for carrying film having openings throughwhich the film passes, feeding mechanism within the inner case forfeeding the film through the forward wall of the inner case, and pastthe film guide, and means including a substantially soundproof drivingconnection for driving the feeding mechanism from the exterior of theouter case.

6. In a silent camera for use with sound recording mechanism, thecombination of an outer case, a lens at the forward wall of the case, afilm guide to the rear of the lens, a substantially soundproof innercase within the outer case for carrying film, feeding mechanism withinthe inner case for feeding the film through the forward wall of thesoundproof inner case, and past the film guide, a sound recordingdevice, securing means for removably securing the same on the wall ofthe outer case, a film magazine, securing on the side of the soundrecording device remote from theouter case, means for guiding the filmfrom the magazine to and fro through the sound recording device and intoand out of the inner case, said securing means being interchangeable sothat the sound recording device can be removed and the film magazinesecured directly to the wall of the outer case.

7. In a silent camera, the combination of an outer case, a lens in thefront wall of said case, an inner case mounted within the outer case andhaving soundproof walls, film feeding mechanism mounted in the innercase, means for guiding film through the wall of the inner case and pastthe lens, and sound deadening pads for supporting the inner case withinthe outer case.

8. apparatus of the kind described, the calm bination of an outer case,an inner case mounted in the outer case and having sound deadenin walls,feeding mechanism for the fllm mounted within the inner case, a soundrecording device on the exterior of the outer case, means for guidingthefllm through the sound recording device and through a wall of the innercase so that it may pass in two runs moving in and out of.

the inner case, and continuously driven means foradvancing the runs ofthe fllm located between the inner case and the sound recording deviceoperating to maintain slack in the runs of the fllm as it passes to orfrom the inner case.

9. In a camera, the combination of an outer case, a lens at the forwardwall ofthe case, a fllm guide to the rear of the lens, means for movingthe am guide away from the lens, a reflector,

means for interposing the same into the space between the lens and thefllm guide, said reflector having an inclined reflector face forreflecting the light beam received through the lens, in a transversedirection with respect to the axis of the lens, a second reflector forreflecting the light beam from the flrst reflector in a general rearwarddirection; a substantially soundproof inner case within the outer casefor carrying the film having guide openings in its wall for the fllm,and feeding mechanism within the inner case for feeding the fllm throughthe said guide openings, and past the fllm guide and including anintermittent feed device forming fluttering loops in the fllm within theinner case.

- AL'BIN K. PETERSON.

